San Juan Bautista – Citing reduced sales tax revenue, the San Juan Bautista City Council cut $25,000 from its budget Tuesday.
City Manager Jan McClintock said the state Board of Equalization has estimated the city will receive $25,000 less in sales tax revenue this year due to the recent closure of the Union 76 gas station and other city businesses.
The biggest cut will be to code enforcement, a service that the city pays Precision Inspections to perform. Councilman Ed Laverone said code enforcement will be reduced from one day per week to two days per month. Life-threatening situations will be dealt with immediately, Laverone said.
“But the other stuff, the barking dog call, or the sign call, those are going to have to wait to be handled,” he said.
The city will also relocate the Sheriff’s Office substation. San Juan Bautista contracts with the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement and pays rent for the substation in the Windmill Plaza. By moving the deputies to a city-owned building on First Street, the substation becomes rent-free.
